Pakistan batter Ahmed Shehzad on Tuesday berated red-ball captain Shan Masood for the shortcomings in the format against Bangladesh.
Expressing his thoughts on his YouTube channel, Shehzad said: “Over the years, many people continued to talk in favor of Shan Masood. We got to hear a lot whenever he [Shan Masood] was dropped from the team or not getting many opportunities.”
“He [Shan Masood] used to complain that he does not get many chances in the national team,” Shehzad added.
Shehzad pointed out the record of Masood as the player since 2020, saying, “Since 2020, Shan Masood has compiled merely three fifties in the red-ball format. This is a really ordinary record considering the fact he [Shan Masood] had played plenty of matches since 2020.”
“He [Shan Masood] has been appointed the red-ball skipper, considering this performance. From things, you can yourself imagine what will be the caliper of Pakistan cricket,” he stated.
Shehzad said: “One thing that people used to say to justify appointing Shan Masood] as the red-ball was that he could speak good English. English is not the only skill, which requires from the team leader.”
Highlighting the quality of the good captain, Shehzad stated: “A good leader has a vision to set a target to see the team’s progress after the end of his tenure. The performance of the good captain is acknowledged by his teammates, who respect the former with great zeal.”
“Due to the positive impact on his team, the teammates’ of the good captain are compelled to say whatever their team leader asks them to do,” he added.
Shehzad questioned: “Does the performance of Shan Masood look like that his team members will listen to what he is demanding from them?”
“Not only this, but even look at his press conferences, which have no logic at all. When it comes to uplifting the team, Shan Masood] is saying the right thing. But when it comes to technicalities of the game, he is making excuses,” he added.
Shehzad said: “It is a good thing that he [Shan Masood] offered an apology to the masses following the defeat against Bangladesh. Now he is taking about to produce a better result in the game than before. Who stopped you from performing well before?”
“Bangladesh have made history against you [Pakistan]. The visitors have dismantled the Pakistan team in the first Test match. They [Bangladesh] have dominated against you almost throughout the entire Test match,” Shehzad said.
“We did not stop you from playing with your intensity in the first match,” he added.
Underlining the matter of the spinners’ snub in the first Test, Shehzad said: “You are saying that you had decided to not go with the spinners in the first match due to the scorching heat in Rawalpindi.”
Shehzad said: “You are talking about the fact that you have opted for four fast bowlers instead of three in the Pindi Test to ensure their workload and avoid injury. There is no logic to give such a kind of justification.”
“You have fielding your bowlers in fear of getting injured, which is not fair,” he said.
The 32-year-old opener said: “You got to ensure to produce quality cricket from your players. You need to form the playing XI for winning the matches rather than forming the team to adjust or save any player like Shaheen Shah Afridi or Naseem Shah. You cannot take such steps.”
Recalling the Pakistan team’s experience of playing cricket in the United Arab Emirates, Shehzad said: “Was there no scorching heat, when we used to play in Dubai or Abu Dhabi? Breathing in Dubai or Abu Dhabi was not less than a challenge.”
“How many fast bowlers we used to play with in the hot conditions of Dubai or Abu Dhabi? There were times, when we used to play with only one fast bowler. Whether these things were wrong then?”
Expressing his concerns over the team shot selections, Shehzad rued: “Whether you have any focus on your shot selection or not? How are your players playing the left-arm spinners on mid-on and playing a cover drive on the sixth-seventh stump? The players are getting out on the inside edge.”
